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Mad Women: From the 1950s to Now

October 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Last night I had the luxury of hearing from two incredible women after the production of The Best of Everything, playing at the Here Arts Center in Soho: Jane Maas and Stephanie Newman.  Maas wrote MAD WOMEN: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the Sixties and Beyond. The book tells the true story of what it was like for women in advertising in that era of rampant sex, three-martini lunches and overt sexism.  Newman wrote MAD MEN ON THE COUCH about the psychology of  the characters behind the show Mad Men. I have yet to read Jane's book but I … [Read more...]

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Mad Women, Mad Men, Project Runway and More

September 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Jane Maas talkback

I've mentioned that I have a very small role in the upcoming production of The Best of Everything, playing at the Here Arts Center, a new adaptation of Rona Jaffe's 1958 bestseller about ambitious secretaries in the big city. These girls want thrilling careers and gay adventures—and husbands and children too, in due time. Today we call that “having it all”; these girls call it "The Best of Everything". They’re not sure it’s possible either.  It's a conversation we have often here on this blog and I'm SO proud of this show for bringing so many … [Read more...]

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Book Club: The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe

September 13, 2012 By 1 Comment
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When The Best of Everything was published in 1958, I can only imagine the buzz it created among young women.  After all, they are comparing it to be the 50 Shades of Gray of our day. Set in the early Fifties, the story follows a handful of working girls at a Manhattan publishing house.  There’s ambitious Caroline, who dreams of graduating from the typing pool to an editor’s office and she will do anything to get there; naïve country girl April, who's goal is clearly to meet someone so she can quit her job and stay at home in full fledge … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Theater Tagged With: ,